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Van Gundy just said what I was waiting to hear. A couple other teams in the West wouldve been slight favorites over the Heat.

I think the Heat are having some ACC troubles. If you play weaker competition all year and then you get hit in the mouth it becomes harder to respond when you are not used to it.

Spurs just got finished dealing with Westbrook and Durant. Miami is really not any better than them.

There were better teams top to bottom in the west but no other team would have beaten the Heat than the Spurs. OKC style would play into the Heat style and would have been entertaining but a Heat victory. The Spurs team style and deep bench has just worn down the Heat. Doesn't help that Wade has disappeared.

There were better teams top to bottom in the west but no other team would have beaten the Heat than the Spurs. OKC style would play into the Heat style and would have been entertaining but a Heat victory. The Spurs team style and deep bench has just worn down the Heat. Doesn't help that Wade has disappeared.

I think the Heat would've beat the Thunder but I think the Clippers could have beat the Heat. They had a great starting lineup and a great bench like the Spurs. They could outscore you like they did the warriors even though they could not stop the warriors offense and they could play half court as well as up tempo.

The issue with most of the Western teams beating the Heat...being mentally tough enough to do it. Not sure the Clips or the Thunder had the mental makeup to get it done.

Van Gundy just said what I was waiting to hear. A couple other teams in the West wouldve been slight favorites over the Heat.

I think the Heat are having some ACC troubles. If you play weaker competition all year and then you get hit in the mouth it becomes harder to respond when you are not used to it.

Spurs just got finished dealing with Westbrook and Durant. Miami is really not any better than them.

I disagree and think the Spurs have just played like a team possessed and playing to play the Heat all year, the Spurs put out more effort than the Heat. The heart of a champion is hard to stop and they have had it in this series, we shall see how big the heart of the Heat is Sunday and more importantly if James can put them on his back and beat a very, very, good team. I told a buddy if Leonard scores 20 again this series is over and he scored 20 tonight...James has to shoot the ball more than 17 times to start getting assists, the biggest difference in this series and last year is LeBron's assist total. The Spurs are making him make decisions under pressure with a body on him and giving no one on the Heat an easy shot. The Heat do not have an answer for the depth of the Spurs, Diaw almost had a triple double and I'm eating crow concerning Leonard's play.

I think we see a game 7 and the Heat break the Spurs heart again, first time for everything and greats love to be challenged so we will see if greatness is deserved for the Heat. If Timmy gets one for the thumb I will still be smiling, he is an all time great and the Heat will have no reason to hold their heads down but the Hornets are coming for both of them next year!

I disagree and think the Spurs have just played like a team possessed and playing to play the Heat all year, the Spurs put out more effort than the Heat. The heart of a champion is hard to stop and they have had it in this series, we shall see how big the heart of the Heat is Sunday and more importantly if James can put them on his back and beat a very, very, good team. I told a buddy if Leonard scores 20 again this series is over and he scored 20 tonight...James has to shoot the ball more than 17 times to start getting assists, the biggest difference in this series and last year is LeBron's assist total. The Spurs are making him make decisions under pressure with a body on him and giving no one on the Heat an easy shot. The Heat do not have an answer for the depth of the Spurs, Diaw almost had a triple double and I'm eating crow concerning Leonard's play.

Fair enough. I am not trying to cheat the Spurs. They are playing phenomenal and they are playing better than at the beginning of the playoffs. Danny Green was lost the first two series and not even getting any playing time. He is now playing great.

It seems now the talking heads are putting this on Pop sitting the Spurs all season and the Heat being too tired now.

I am not sure I buy all of that but maybe it is the key factor. It seems that the Spurs are just executing better because they have the better team top to bottom and their team has improved each round and now all of the pieces are clicking.

Fair enough. I am not trying to cheat the Spurs. They are playing phenomenal and they are playing better than at the beginning of the playoffs. Danny Green was lost the first two series and not even getting any playing time. He is now playing great.

It seems now the talking heads are putting this on Pop sitting the Spurs all season and the Heat being too tired now.

I am not sure I buy all of that but maybe it is the key factor. It seems that the Spurs are just executing better because they have the better team top to bottom and their team has improved each round and now all of the pieces are clicking.

It could be a factor.....making the reserves play a bigger role during the season - when it's understood the veteran starters won't help them, because they are in street clothes or didn't even travel with the team - helps build accountability in the reserves. They won't stand on the perimeter and become spectators to those starters in the big games, especially if the coaching staff beats into them that they all play big roles, and the veterans go along with the team concept.

With some other teams, if starters tire and reserves need to somehow step up, they can't do it because they weren't asked to during the season. Right now I see a San Antonio team that seems like it has 8-9 starters to take the floor, with all of them knowing how to contribute like starters and leaders...

Except they've been playing the same type of teams for the past 3 years.

Not sure what you mean. The Spurs are much better team this year from the previous 3 years. Clips are the best they have been ever, Warriors are the best they have ever been, Blazers are better than they have been since Clyde was there, OKC had their best team yet with a healthy and slightly maturing Westbrook. Mavs were solid and so were the Grizz.

The East had Atlanta, Brooklyn, The most mentally weak but albeit talented team in Indiana. The bulls were weak without Rose. The surprise team was the Wizards.

I would match up the West against the East playoff teams and I believe the West would have dominated.

It could be a factor.....making the reserves play a bigger role during the season - when it's understood the veteran starters won't help them, because they are in street clothes or didn't even travel with the team - helps build accountability in the reserves. They won't stand on the perimeter and become spectators to those starters in the big games, especially if the coaching staff beats into them that they all play big roles, and the veterans go along with the team concept.

With some other teams, if starters tire and reserves need to somehow step up, they can't do it because they weren't asked to during the season. Right now I see a San Antonio team that seems like it has 8-9 starters to take the floor, with all of them knowing how to contribute like starters and leaders...

Part of it was injuries. Green and Leonard were hurt part of the season which contributed to the Spurs not playing OKC or Houston at full strength but the role players got plenty of minutes and players like Mills got plenty of action that prepared them for the end of the season. Pop still gets the credit for coaching for the endgame.

Not sure what you mean. The Spurs are much better team this year from the previous 3 years. Clips are the best they have been ever, Warriors are the best they have ever been, Blazers are better than they have been since Clyde was there, OKC had their best team yet with a healthy and slightly maturing Westbrook. Mavs were solid and so were the Grizz.

The East had Atlanta, Brooklyn, The most mentally weak but albeit talented team in Indiana. The bulls were weak without Rose. The surprise team was the Wizards.

I would match up the West against the East playoff teams and I believe the West would have dominated.

Ok gotcha. Maybe the Heat are just weaker too. Lewis starting playing great for them and taking up the Mike Miller slack but he did not do much in the last game and the point guard position is a train wreck.

Ok gotcha. Maybe the Heat are just weaker too. Lewis starting playing great for them and taking up the Mike Miller slack but he did not do much in the last game and the point guard position is a train wreck.

The PG position is definitely a problem. They need to just play 3 shooters, James and a mix of Bosh, Anderson and other big guys. The Spurs on D aren't worried about helping on drives by the Hear because they don't respect the outside shooting consistency from the Heat. The Spurs on O have so many shooters that as soon as they get into the paint, if you help, they have wide open shooters who make it consistently. The heat remind me of those Cleveland teams that couldn't hit open looks when James would drive. James could easily have had 10+ assist last night if guys hit 50% of their open looks.

The Spurs are clearly a better team but Heat have the best player in the world that can make them competitive and give them a chance to make a miracle come back.